Cotton-cleaning machine.



No. 765,135. PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

E. J. GARDNER.

COTTON CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION-FILED OCT. 30, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

, 5 g INVENTOR J'TZZ Cz cu'dner A TTOHNE rs Patented July 12, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELI J. GARDNER, OF SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GRAB-BOLL COTTON CLEANER & MACHINERY CO., OFSHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY, A COR- PORATION OF OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

COTTON-CLEANING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,135, dated July 12,1904.

Application filed October 30, 1903- T0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELI J GARDNER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Shawnee, in the'county of Pottawatomie and Territory ofOklahoma, have invented a new and Improved Cotton-Cleaning Machine, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention appertains to improvements in cotton-cleaning machines,and has particular reference to an improved device of the classdescribed designed for cleaning cotton of the class commonly known asgrab-boll cotton from oil-mills and other bolly and trashy cotton of alike quality.

In carrying out my invention I have particularly in contemplation thecorrelation and arrangement of certain elements by which all dirt,leaves, and hard substances will be separated from the cotton and thelatter in a cleaned or renovated state will be delivered to a chute,from whence it is conducted to a proper receptacle or point.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a machine which shallbe exceedingly simple and compact in its construction, capable of beingreadily operated, and one which will embody the desired and essentialfeatures of economy and durability.

With the above-recited objects and others of a like nature in view myinvention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts, as is described in this specification, delineated in theaccompanying drawings, and set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through acotton-cleaning machine embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is asectional view on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter Adesignates the Serial No. 179,141. (No model.)

frame portionof my machine, which may be of any suitable and desiredconstruction, as I do not intend to limit myself to any special form offrame, the structure of the latter being determined largely by theparticular requirements of the machine. This frame is provided at oneend with a relatively large hopper 5, through which the mass of cottonin its uncleaned state is to be fed to the machine.

Extending transversely through the hopper of the machine is a shaft 6,carrying a cylinder 7, which cylinder is provided with a plurality ofteeth 8, such cylinder being termed, for the sake of convenience, thesticker-head cylinder, and which is designed to receive the cotton as itis fed into the hopper and to carry or force the same up against thebreast 9. This breast, it will be observed, consists of a plurality ofbars having sharp ened end portions 10, such bars or teeth beingsecurely fastened in a frame portion 11, extending transversely of themachine above the sticker-head cylinder. The bars of this breast arearranged vertically, vand the cotton against the breast is designed tobe pulled through the bars or teeth by the beatingcylinder 12, saidcylinder being journaled upon a shaft 13 and provided on its peripherywith a plurality of picker-teeth 14:. It will be seen by reference tothe drawings that the beating-cylinder 12 rotates in the oppositedirection from the sticker-head cylinder, the course of travel of thecylinders being indicated by the arrows. After the cotton has beenpicked or pulled through the breast by the cylinder 12 it is passed ortossed into the middle chamber of the cleaner, from whence it is carriedthrough the medium of the endless-belt conveyer 16. This conveyer, itwill be observed, extends over wheels 17 17, mounted in the frame of themachine, and as the cotton falls upon the same it is carried or pushedto the picker-cylinder 18, the latter being provided with a number ofteeth 19, and this cylinder, it will be noted, also rotates in the samedirection as the beating-cylinder 12, but at a more rapid rate of speed.After the cotton has been engaged by the cylinder 18 it is tossed orthrown against the breast 20, formed with a number of mote-ribs 21,having sharpened end portions 22, said ribs or bars being rigidlysecured, as at 23, in the frame 24:, eX- tending transversely at the topof the machine.

It is to be noted that in the operation of this machine the bolls ofcotton are torn apart as the cotton is pulled through the breast 9 bythe feed-cylinder, and when the material reaches the picker-cylinder 18the further separation of the refuse material from the cotton isaccomplished through the following means: Arranged adjacent to themote-ribs forming the breast 20 is a relatively large revolving saw'cylinder 25, having arranged around the periphery thereof a largenumber of fine saw-teeth 26, this cylinder being ofthe type commonlyemployed in cotton-gins. As such saw-cylinder is arranged on theopposite side of the breast 20 from the picker-cylinder 18 and turns ata relatively slower rate of speed than such cylinder 18 it will pull orpick the cotton through the spaces between the mote-ribs and in thecourse of its revolu tion will carry the now cleaned cotton over uponthe roll 27. This roll has mounted upon its periphery'rows of'teeth28,alternating with rows of brushes 29, so that for the purpose ofconvenience this cylinder may be termed a brush-cylinder. As the cottonreaches the latter it is carried around and dusted or passed over ascreen 30, mounted directly beneath the brush-cylinder, such latterscreen having a large number of perforations 31 therein, through whichperforations pass the particles of dirt, such as leaves and smallerrefuse, such waste'particles passing down through the chute 32 to anysuitable point of deposit, while the now thoroughly cleansed cotton istossed by the brush-cylinder 27 over upon a downwardly-inclined chute 33'into any suitable receptacle. (Not shown.)

In cleaning cotton with this machine a large part of the refuse, such ashard lumps or looks, which have dropped upon the endless cQnyeyer-belt16 are likely to have mixed or mingled therewith a quantity ofcotton-seed which it is'desirable to preserve and separate, and for thispurpose the matter carried by'the conveyer-belt is deposited over theend of the same upon a screen 34, where the cotton-seed is separatedfrom the refuse by the cylinder 3 L. It will also be observed that Ihave provided an arrangement by which the conveyer-belt may be adjustedto suit the flow of material thereon, such means being in the nature ofrelatively long threaded screws 35 35, extending through a bar 36 of theframe A and being designed to bear against the under side of anadjustable support carrying the wheels or rollers 17.

For some purposes it may be desired to have the lower portion of thehopper 5 immediately above the conveyer adjustable, and for this purposeI form such lower portion of a plate 37, hinged, as at 38, to the rigidbody portion of the hopper, said plate carrying a screw-rod 39 whichpasses through a suspending strip or bracket 40, secured, as at 41, tothe side of the hopper, and by turning the screw the plate 37 may bemoved toward or from the conveyer, thereby increasing or decreasing thesize of the bottom portion of the hopper.

For the purposes of driving or rotating the various cylinders or rollsof the machine any suitable mechanism may be employed such as endlessbelts, pulleys, and the like-and power maybe applied from any convenientsource.

It is to be noted that I have provided an exceedingly simple and compactmachine and one in which the cotton may be cleaned thoroughly andrapidly, and all the valuable substances or materials contained in theoriginal batch of grab-boll cotton, which were primarily cast into thehopper 5, are preserved, while the waste portions or trash are separatedtherefrom.

While I have shown and described one particular embodiment of myinvention, it is of course to be understood that I do not'confinemyself'to all the precise details of construction herein illustrated, asit will be evident that there may be modifications and variations incertain respects without departing from the essential features of theinvention or sacrificing any of the numerous advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a machine-frame, a hopperthereon, a toothed cylinder arranged within said hopper, a breastarranged adjacent to said cylinder, a beating-cylinder arranged on theopposite side of the breast from the first-mentioned cylinder, theconstruction being such that cotton fed into the hopper will be takenthrough the breast by the beating-cylinder, cleaning devices for thecotton, an endless conveyer-belt for conveying the cotton from thebeating-cylinder to said cleaning devices, and means for conveying thecleaned cotton from the devices to a suitable point of deposit.

2. The combination of amainframe, ahopper thereon for receiving thecotton, a breast formed of a plurality of bars, means for forcing thecotton against the breast, a beatingcylinder for pulling the cottonthrough the breast,-a saw-cylinder, means for conveying the cotton fromthe beating cylinder to the saw-cylinder, means for receiving cottonfrom by the brush-cylinder.

the saw cylinder, said means including a brush-cylinder, and meansarranged adjacent to the brush-cylinder for assisting in the removal ofthe refuse from the cotton received the beating-cylinder to thesaw-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

L The combination of a main frame, ahopper thereon, asticker-headcylinder arranged within the hopper, a breast arranged adjacent to saidsticker-head cylinder, a beating-cylinder arranged on the opposite sideof the breast, an adjustable conveyer-belt arranged beneath saidcylinders, and means for cleaning the cotton, arranged above theconveyer-belt, such means including a saw-cylinder, a breast adjacent tothe saw-cylinder and through which the cotton is drawn by said cylinder,a brushcylinder to which the cotton is carried by the saw-cylinder, thebrush-cylinder being arranged adjacent to the saw-cylinder and at theside opposite the breast, and a screen arranged beneath thebrush-cylinder.

5. The combination of a main frame, a hopper thereon, a breast arrangedwithin the hopper, a sticker-head cylinder within the hopper forcarrying material to the breast, a beatingcylinder for receiving thematerial from the sticker-head cylinder and drawing it through thebreast, asaw-cylinder, a picker-cylinder, a breast formed ofv aplurality of mote-ribs arranged between the picker-cylinder and thesaw-cylinder, a brush-cylinder for receiving the cotton from thesaw-cylinder, and ascreen arranged beneath the brush-cylinder.

6. The combination of a feed-hopper, a sticker-head cylinder therein, abeating-cylinder for receiving cotton from the sticker-head cylinder,means between the sticker-head cylinder and the beating-cylinder forremoving.

lumps of material from the cotton, a conveyer beneath the cylinders, andsecondary mechanism for cleaning and separating refuse from the cotton,said mechanism being disposed adjacent to the conveyer for the aforesaidcylinders.

7 The combination of a hopper, a cylinder within said hopper, abeating-cylinder in cooperative relation to the first-named cylinder, abreast between the two cylinders, a conveyer for transporting materialfrom the beatingcylinder,a picker-cylinder over said conveyer, asaw-cylinder disposed in cooperative relation to the picker-cylinder, abreast formed by a plurality of sharpened ribs or bars which arearranged between the saw-cylinder and the picker-cylinder, abrush-cylinder mounted adjacent to the saw-cylinder, a screencooperating with the brush-cylinder, a second screen arranged below thefirst-mentioned screen, and another toothed cylinder cooperating withthe last-mentioned screen.

8. The combination of a main frame, a hop- I per thereon, a sticker-headcylinder for the cotton arranged in said hopper, mechanism for cleaningthe cotton arranged adjacent to the said cylinder, and means comprisingan endless belt, and devices for adjusting the belt arranged below thecylinders and the cottoncleaning means for conveying the cotton to thelatter and for removing the refuse of the cotton from the machine.

9. The combination of a main frame provided with a hopper, a breastthrough which the material is drawn from the hopper, a beating-cylinderfor drawing the material through the breast, a picker-cylinder, meansfor conveying the material from the beatercylinder to thepicker-cylinder, a saw-cylinder, a breast formed of a plurality of ribsarranged between the picker-cylinder and the saw-cylinder, the materialbeing drawn through the breast by the saw-cylinder, a brush-cylinder forreceiving the cotton from the saw-cylinder, and a screen arrangedbeneath the brush-cylinder, as set forth.

10. The combination of a feed-hopper, a breast through which the cottonis drawn from the feed-hopper, means within the hopper for forcing thecotton against the breast, a beating-cylinder arranged adjacent to thebreast for drawing the cotton through the breast, an endless beltconveyer beneath the breast and beating-cylinder, devices for adjustingthe belt, and secondary mechanism for cleaning the cotton, the saidmechanism being disposed adjacent to the said conveyer, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELI J. GARDNER.

Witnesses:

F. B. REED, C. J. BENSON.

